What is round timber and where is it used?

Round timber is a colloquial name that combines lumber of a similar shape. Actually, the shape formed this name - wood materials obtained by transverse division of the trunk are considered round timber.

Round timber is a collective term. In construction, timber is traditionally divided into round timber and sawn timber. Round timber is considered to be the timber that is mined in the process of felling, harvesting and further removal. This is all wood from forest felling. These are trunks and branches of trees, simply cut down or sawn to pieces. Sawing can be longitudinal and transverse, but round timber is still usually called the product of cross-sawing.

Previously, the processing of round timber was laborious: it had to be quickly removed from the bark, almost immediately after removal from the forest, and then maintained under certain conditions. Strict requirements were set for the humidity and ventilation regime so that roundwood retained its important characteristics.

Freshly cut material is not used in production either before or now. The moisture content of such a tree will significantly exceed the normal range. But on an industrial scale, drying does not take very long. However, this is also a big minus - during express drying, round timber often cracks and warps. Therefore, it is always better to dry round wood in natural conditions in terms of its finishing quality.

Round timber can be harvested in large volumes, because it will be actively used at woodworking enterprises. Finally, firewood is also harvested from round timber, which does not cease to remain a traditional solid fuel. The most enviable heat transfer from oak logs, and the smallest - from aspen.

It is interesting that the layman is often sure that the world leader in the production of round timber is precisely Russia... But on this list she is well ahead of USA... This country takes over 18.2% of the total world production, while Russia - 10.8%. Among the top five countries were China, Brazil, Canada.

Very often, round timber means saw cuts. They are that popular eco-element that has become fashionable thanks to social media. Cuts are really wooden rounds, from which serving stands are made, they are used as a basis for creative work, as home decor in a variety of interior styles. Garden paths are laid out of them, they are actively used in landscape design.

Round timber is usually classified according to the used part of the tree, as well as by size.

For example, under longevity means that part of the whip, the length of which will be a multiple of the length of the materials obtained by crosscutting. The groove allowance is taken into account. Whip Is a tree trunk that has been cleared of branches and cut off from the root. Log - This is the segment of the whip that connects the middle and the top. Ridge is a fragment of the lower part of the whip. Churak - a section of a ridge, which is processed on special equipment. well and deck refers to a short and thick piece of log.

Range of round timber and sawn timber:

• according to GOST, there are requirements for the length and thickness of logs on sale, for example, the running dimensions of the thickness will be 13,16,18, as well as 20 and 22 cm;
• logs, the thickness of which is less than 13 cm, fall under the classification of small round wood and it, in turn, is divided into categories such as garter, poles, stakes.

There are special sorting lines for timber, where the material is divided into categories depending on the length, thickness, weight and other established indicators. But it is important not only how much it weighs, but also whether there is a mark, chaffinches, curliness and other defects on it.

Sorting is also indicated as follows: the first grade of round timber is a tree with a knotless or low knot butt whip part. The first grade is used for the production of high quality wood materials. The second is represented by a material with several knots or cracks, used for construction, in the furniture industry. The third grade is a few knots, a little cracking, such a round timber goes to sleepers and inexpensive furniture. The fourth grade can have any knots and many defects, except for rot. It is taken for areas where the quality of wood is not so critical.

Round wood is usually divided into 3 large categories: small round timber (sometimes from 6 to 13 cm thick), medium round timber (in the range from 14 to 24 cm), large round timber (over 24 cm in diameter). The small category, in turn, is subdivided into 2 groups: poles and podkovar. The poles are a tree with a diameter of 3-7 cm, a pod - 7-11 cm.

The main division of round timber by materials is made by tree species. Deciduous and coniferous species are used. Requirements for coniferous varieties are regulated by GOST 9463 (pine, cedar, larch). Of deciduous species, linden, round birch, maple, beech, oak, hornbeam, ash, chestnut are often harvested, and to a lesser extent - aspen.

In construction, round timber of different breeds is used in different ways. Conifers have a considerable advantage due to the straightness of the trunk, and the quality of this wood is better according to average indicators (increased resin content is the reason). Finally, these trees are more common. But hardwoods are increasingly being taken for production, for example, temporary auxiliary rooms during construction, for the manufacture of scaffolds and formwork.

The most used tree in round timber is pine. It is soft, lightweight, durable. In construction, its value is extremely high. Pine is ore and mandy. Ore grows on dry and sandy soils, its wood is dense and resinous. Myandovaya, on the other hand, settles down on clay soil, the wood of this pine has a highly developed sapwood, large layers, but in strength it is somewhat inferior to ore.

The main sphere of use of roundwood is quite obvious - construction. In order, for example, to build a log house for a residential building, a pine tree is suitable. This is due to the relatively stable diameter along the length of its entire trunk. The Russian bath is often built from aspen logs, because it is a light and moisture-resistant tree that is not afraid of fungus and is not so susceptible to rotting. Although linden is used in construction, it is still not so often.

Consider the scope of application of round timber.

• Lumber - this is both edged and unedged boards, as well as beams, bars, sleepers, slabs. These materials are actively used in the construction of residential buildings and agricultural buildings.
• Decorative veneer - for these purposes, a certain marking of round timber is needed, preference is given to such species as oak, maple, walnut, beech. In the furniture industry, veneer is used a lot and very successfully: it is used to trim facades, countertops and more.
• Plywood - it is also made from round wood. These are several veneer layers that are glued together with formaldehyde resins. Usually birch, pine and larch are used to make plywood.In particular, birch plywood sheets are especially in demand, since they will last longer and are good in strength.
• Other sheet materials (fiberboard, chipboard, OSB) used in the furniture industry, as well as in finishing works and in frame construction.

The construction of houses from round timber today is considered even elite. First, high quality round timber is freed from the bark, then each individual log is cut to a predetermined length. And then the required building material is formed according to a given width. This adjustment is made in factories where all the conditions exist for this. Thus, one obtains building elements with markings... For this reason, during the construction process, you can see that the assembly of logs is carried out by numbers. It is easier for builders to work this way, and the buildings themselves turn out to be not only beautiful, but also more durable. And, what is especially important, a house or a bathhouse made of round timber can be erected in a matter of days.

To make it easier to calculate the amount of forest available, a cubature is used. This is a table or any other list system, in the columns of which there will be the values ​​of the diameter of the round wood, the values ​​of the length. To calculate the volume of one trunk, you need to find a column with a length expressed in meters and a line with an average diameter indicated in centimeters. And the estimated volume in cubic meters will appear in the desired cell - everything is simple.